Plan your meals and remain fit

After all the good food that I enjoyed during my holidays, I will have to go back on to a strict fitness regime I feel. I have been reading a lot about having small meals dotted through the day instead of three large ones and nutritionists have been expressing this opinion in one way or another. But does one have the time to plan and follow such a new routine? I always emphasize that following this is a matter of personal choice – the golden rule is that the meals should be balanced and well in tune with the time of the day. For example: Breakfast should have balanced proteins and carbohydrates. Lunch can be high protein and low in carbohydrates. Dinner can be high protein, low fat with minimal or no carbohydrates. But in most homes dinner is the heaviest meal of the day.

This sets my mind thinking and I suggest you look up some recipes on www.sanjeevkapoor.com that help you cook meals without oil. Yes, that helps to keep the calories in control and one can take a meal without oil especially the day following heavy eating. My recipes have been formulated specially and you can say they are not completely devoid of oil as all foods contain some trace of oil/fat: like poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, peppercorns, sesame seeds and turmeric powder. And this takes care of the fat needed to maintain a healthy body. In favour of oil I do say that it is an integral part of most recipes because it not only removes the unpalatability of the dish, it also adds the needed softness as also flavour and nutrients. Our bodies do need fat not just for lubrication, but also for proper absorption of the fat-soluble precious vitamins and for energy.

Though our bodily functions operate at the optimum when they are lubricated well the naturally present oils meet these requirements. It is better to follow a diet that is minus the visible fat but healthy in essential proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

I will give you some ideas here.

Chilled Cucumber and Buttermilk Soup
Slimmer’s Salad in No Oil Dressing
Chholay Biryani

Till I write again.
Sanjeev Kapoor.

Give importance to tadka

Came to know about the training session in office on food costings, analysis and its implications conducted by our COO Rajeev Matta. They have video recorded it and so I too will get a chance to brush up. In fact, with the rising food prices, all these mathematics become important and carry a lot of weight when you have to make business decisions. Like the wise say, knowledge is important, you never know when you might need it!

I have met up with a couple of Spanish chefs and they were curious about the Indian method of tempering the food. Well, did you know that whenever we fry seeds and pulses in oil and add to cooked food, what happens exactly?

Apart from the distinctive flavour it imparts, tempering has many healthful aspects to it. First, essential fatty acids have to be supplied by the diet because the body cannot synthesize them. Fats used in tempering, particularly the vegetable oils, contain these fatty acids, as do ingredients like mustard seeds, cumin seeds and black gram dal. Besides, the vitamin A, D, E and K, found in foods like green leafy vegetables, carrots and cauliflower, are soluble in fat, and can only be released and utilized if some fat is also available at the same time. Tempering meets this requirement too. The carotene in curry leaves is also automatically transferred by this process. Many vegetable oils used in tempering are, additionally, rich in vitamin E. Further while pungency is associated with mustard, few are aware that this results only when mustard seeds are ground with water or vinegar. In hot oil, mustard seeds taste unquestionable nutty.

All this talk has transported me back home, and I can actually visualise garma garam ghar ka khana!

Am missing

Punjabi Kadhi

Khandvi

Gujarati Kadhi….all these taste better with appropriate tadka.

Till I write again

Sanjeev Kapoor.

Tune in for June

When in Spain do as the Spanish do…watched a bull fight and I can say it was a new experience. Yesterday went in relaxing at the hotel, having our meals there. Tomorrow booked for dinner in Roca, 3- Michelin star restaurant and I believe they have an extensive set menu.

Back in Mumbai, new book My Mother’s Kitchen is going to press. June will be fun packed for the fans of www.sanjeevkapoor.com for there are special features on ice creams, tiffins and cooking for unexpected guests. That, in short, means loads of new recipes and happy cooking.

Rest, they say all is well at home, except for the day time temperature. That gets me to tell you some recipes that I personally enjoy when the Mumbai heat gets to me.

Try….Chilli Lemon Stewed Vegetables with Noodles, Celery Cucumber Medley, Rose Sandesh

Till I write again
Sanjeev Kapoor.